Katy Perry: Part of Me
by Rebecca Hillary
★★ 1/2
Starring Katy Perry, Shannon Woodward and Lucas Kerr. Directed by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz. Produced by Craig Brewer, James Hall, Edward Lovelace, Thomas Benski, Dan Bowen, Archie Gips, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Ted Kenney and Emer Patten.
Katy Perry: Part of Me may be the most polarizing movie to come out this summer. No doubt endless amounts of screaming teenage fan-girls are going to flock to the theatre and love every minute of this colorful documentary, but I'm not so sure anyone else will be quite as open to sitting through an hour and a half of upbeat pop music, pink costumes and confetti covered dance routines. They'd be correct in assuming this film doesn't have much to offer those that aren't already Katy fans, but that's not to say it isn't entertaining in its own right.
If you're viewing this simply as a movie, it more than likely falls short, lacking much of a story or originality, and resembling something remarkably close to an E! True Hollywood story. However, if you view it as an experience, it more than exceeds expectations – it's basically an excuse for fans to dress up and go to the theatre to sing-along and dance to their favorite music and get lost in the flashy 3-D set pieces. Its focus is on all of the behind the scenes work that goes into becoming a pop star and the drama of her personal relationships is kept to a minimum, touching briefly on Katy's divorce from Russell Brand so as not to kill the feel-good mood of the movie and turn audiences off by coming off too much like a reality television show.
Has it been done before? Yes. Is a lot of it gratuitous self-promotion? Yes. If you're looking for real insight into the music industry or the emotional strain that affects most professional performers, you're most certainly not going to find it watching Katy Perry: Part of Me – only small snippets of inner conflict or struggle are shown. In the same fashion as movies like Never Say Never and Celine: Through the Eyes of the World, teary-eyed fan testimonials and self-glorifying stories are told – there are plenty shots of Katy connecting with her fans or persevering through difficult times, but very little raw emotion or candid behavior is captured, keeping it from being more than just another straight forward celebrity documentary. —Rebecca Hillary
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